Bresa (Species)
Bresa is the name of both a World and a Species. This page is about the Species. For information about the World... Click Here. The Bresa are a powerful and warlike species... and a recent addition to The Empire... subjugated by The Empire approximately 20,000 years ago. The Bresa are Bipedal, but not humanoid. The Bresa have "Bird-Like" faces, including a strong, bony beak; a flat, wide nose (nose top portion of the "beak"); and reptilian, "vertically-oriented" eyes... roughly similar to a cat's eyes. Mature Bresa males stand well over 2 Meters tall; have a tough, scale-like skin; and are at least 5 times as strong as an average human. Bresa are impeccably loyal, and almost always obey their masters' or commanders' orders without question. Bresa value loyalty and honesty above all else, and will not lie, even under the most extreme duress... although they will remain silent, if speaking would compromise their morals or violate their orders. Bresa often work in close cooperation with Calliatians, whom they respect immensely. Bresa almost always speak in a very rigid monotone, militaristic voice, and are well known for having a very sharp, sarcastic sense of humor. Due to their lack of variation in vocal tone, and lack of facial expression, it is very difficult to determine when a Bresa is joking, although they do joke quite often, and usually have a well-refined sense of humor. The vocal structure of Bresa does not allow them to make any sound that approximates a laugh. A Bresa usually indicates that he finds something humorous by repeatedly slapping his thigh or a table at which he is sitting. Bresa males usually find humanoid females very attractive, although Bresa females generally find humanoid males repulsive. There is no concept of homosexuality in Bresa culture, although they do not discourage or look down upon species which condone/practice/approve of homosexuality. It is a concept which is simply outside of Bresa culture. As Kir once said, when asked about a homosexual couple... "Why would I give a Flying F*#k what two people do in the privacy of their own home?" Bresa respond instantly to any stimulus or order. If a Bresa's commanding officer tells him to kill someone, the Bresa will instantly kill that person. This "immediate response characteristic" is due to the nature of the Bresa brain and natural biological thought process, very similar to a "Reflex" in humans. This is a survival characteristic which the Bresa have evolved on their hostile home-world. Commanders must be very careful when issuing orders to Bresa under their command, as the Bresa will not consider the consequences of his action until after the action has been performed. Bresa are a mate-for-life species, and large families are common in Bresa culture. This concept has evolved largely due to the hostile nature of the Bresa home-world. Large families ensure the survival of the familial bloodline. Prior to their assimilation by The Empire, the Bresa maintained an extremely violent culture, with each family existing as its own autonomous "country." Families often fought over small parcels of land, as land is the only thing of real "Value" on Bresa. A particularly fertile parcel, especially one adjacent to a river or stream, is prime real estate on Bresa. In recent times, the Bresa are a more peaceful culture, and the economy exists on a "Barter" system, involving the exchange of crops, fish, labor, and land. Bresa females commonly bear twins. Kir and his mate have 8 children. Sex outside of marriage is not considered to be a "Bad Thing" in Bresa culture. A Bresa male will support his mate's children as his own, even if they have a different father. This is also a survival characteristic of the Bresa species and culture. Bresa culture is largely Matriarchal. In any Bresa family, the eldest female is the "Matriarch" of the family, and is afforded a great deal of respect. She bears the responsibility of ensuring that all of the children in her family are well-cared-for and that the males in the family are doing what they should to support the family. The Matriarch is also responsible for designating and training her "successor." Most government positions in Bresa society are held by females. However, Bresa culture does not depend upon external government. Bresa do not have a rigid governmental structure, and there are no "Cities." Bresa generally live in small towns or communities, usually populated with generations of the same families. Sil absolutely adores this aspect of Bresa culture, and loves visiting Kir's family and "Living on the Land" in their small community. Sil also adores Kir's mate, in a non-sexual way, and always monopolizes her attention, getting her to help him learn how to tend the garden or fish in the nearby stream. Kir's mate often tells Kir, "If Sil weren't so damned ugly, I'd Do Him!" Bresa have no religion or belief in any supernatural power. However, in ancient Bresa history, the Bresa did "worship", in a sense, their planet... calling it what would roughly translate as "Mother Earth." Some hard-core traditional Bresa, although they do not believe in the "old ways" or practice that religion, still begin every meal by saying, "We thank you, Mother Earth, for the food of life which you have given us." Bresa children are taught from a very young age that family is the most important thing in life. Again, this is due to the evolution necessary for the survival of the species on this hostile world. Children begin to participate in household chores at ages as young as 4 years old. By the time a child is 6 years old, he is usually tending garden or fishing on a regular basis. School is mandatory and is very important in Bresa culture. It is also very important that Bresa parents spend time with each of their children, every day. While Kir's service in the Imperial Navy might seem to be contradictory to the "family" aspect of Bresa culture... in actuality, this is what Bresa refer to as "Taswan"... "The Going of the Father." Fathers have always left their families in Bresa culture, for extended periods, so that their sons would be forced to learn how to care for the family. When the Father finally returns, he will be welcomed and revered as "TaswanDa" ... "The Father who left and then Returned." At that point, he becomes the Grandfather of the family, and will sit upon his figurative "throne" in the household, as a companion for the Matriarch, who wields the REAL power in the family. This is the destiny which Kir desires... "I will one day retire from my service to the glorious Empire, and sit in a large chair in my home. My grandchildren will come to sit with me, and I will read to them from our family's books, and I will teach them our family's songs, and the women will bring me meat and fruit, and I will eat them, and my grandchildren will tell their grandchildren, 'TaswanDa Kir, my Grandfather, taught me these songs, and now I will teach them to you.' "